Bathing a newborn is one of the most wonderful jobs in parenting. Possibly the most wonderful. But I recently heard a friend say that she hated bathing her newborn because she was so nervous.
So here's my step-by-step guide to bathing your newborn. It's a very quick job - so don't blink or you'll miss it.
1. Pick your moment wisely: The goal is to make bath time a relaxing and bonding experience. Newborn babies stay pretty clean. With the exception of the nappy zone, and the folds in their neck which collect all the spit-up, they really don't get very dirty. So try to approach bath time as an activity you can share with your baby rather than a chore on your to-do list.
If you're following The Baby Whisperer (which I love) then you'll know that an activity comes after eating and before sleeping. Warning: do not try to bathe a hungry newborn! It will not be relaxing. It's also not advisable to bathe a tired baby, or one who's just eaten. So the window for a good bath-time is actually quite narrow.
2. Equipment: A full-size bath is fine, although to save water you may want to place a baby bath inside it. If you had a caesarean, or if you just want to protect your back, look for a baby bath with a stand. These can be filled using the shower head and will drain through a pipe at the bottom. If you've got the space in your bathroom, this would be my top choice for comfort and ease. You do not need a baby bath seat - these take all the fun, and much of the cleaning power, out of bath time.
2. Run the bath - Make sure the bathroom is warm and run a shallow bath. Put a few squeezes of baby bubble bath in (I like Johnson&Johnson's 2-in1with a press-down pump). Check the water temperature with your bare elbow. It should feel just on the warm side of your body temperature.
3. Get everything in place - Prepare your baby's towel and shampoo (I would use the Johnson's 2-in-1 again). You will need to put these next within reach of your arm that won't be holding your baby. This is really important because you will never let go of you baby in the water, so if you don't put it within reach before hand, and there's no one around to help, you won't be able to get it later. You may also want to bring the changing mat and clean clothes for after the bath into the bathroom
4. Undress the baby - It's nicer for the baby if you undress him in the warm bathroom, on a changing mat on a counter or the floor. It's the changes in environment and temperature that will startle him into screaming, so the more you can limit moving him about, the better.
5. The best bit - Hold your undressed baby with his head in the crook of your wrist, his neck well supported, and his shoulder in between your thumb and forefinger. You can lower him slowly into the water now. (Use picture for reference.) Try to dip his feet in first and then submerge the rest of his legs and trunk. This will startle him less than if you dip his bottom in first.
Rock your baby forward and back, allowing the water to swish over him. Run a soapy hand over his body to clean him (you do not need a sponge). Pay particular attention to the nappy area and under his chin. As I said, these are really the only dirty bits. If his belly button cord hasn't yet dropped off, it doesn't matter, you can ignore it.
6. A tricky bit - getting the baby out safely and smoothly means picking up the towel in you free hand and positioning it over your shoulder. Then you can lift out your baby, place him against your shoulder and wrap him in the towel.
7. Before you dress him - kiss him - there's nothing yummier than a soggy baby!
Coming soon... Baby Massage - an Introduction
Excellent instructions- I was lucky enough (or not!) to get a lesson from the nurses in the Hospital Special care baby Unit for my first- otherwise I wouldn't have had a clue!
ReplyDeleteFor the first few months, I used to bathe my kids in the kitchen!-it was usually nice and warm in there (or easy to quickly warm up with a few hobs on!) and the counter top was a good height so as not to hurt my back (and no need to buy a stand) and I just placed the baby bath on the counter!
I found it easier to have a changing mat - also on the counter, with a towel on it- to place the wet wriggly baby directly onto- otherwise I was scared of dropping them!
And although this sounds so stupid- it took until my second baby to work out how to clean under the masses of chubby under chin folds that collect all the milk! If you put the soap on your fingers, they slip under the chin to clean, rather than attempting to splash the slightly soapy water under there unsuccessfully!
Enjoy it- when they aren't crying, it is such a special time and they change so quickly- get someone to video/ take photos- (you won't have enough hands!)